Here's a sneak preview of the new Crispin the Pig book from north Oxford-based illustrator Ted Dewan. His latest picture book about the adventures of the spoiled pig, Crispin and the Best Birthday Surprise Ever (Doubleday, £10.99), is published in June.

Crispin's doting parents decide to take him to the Cheezy Mouse Birthday Bonanza for a birthday treat, with all his friends. On the big day, everyone is happy and excited until they get stuck in the worst traffic jam ever. At last, they pull into a roadside caf. It doesn't look very exciting, but perhaps Crispin's birthday hasn't been ruined after all.

There is often a subtly conveyed moral message in the Crispin books, with children reminded that they can have lots of fun without much money. But readers enjoy the fun as Crispin's parents spend, spend, spend.